Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pyeongtaek and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Pyeongtaek: $1,452 a month against $1,848 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

70

Cost of Living Index in Pyeongtaek
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Pyeongtaek Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Pyeongtaek

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,452

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,848

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pyeongtaek and in Seoul

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Pyeongtaek and in Seoul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,452 in Pyeongtaek versus $1,848 in Seoul.

Pyeongtaek $1,452
Seoul $1,848

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,876 in Pyeongtaek versus $2,986 in Seoul.

Pyeongtaek $2,876
Seoul $2,986

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,300 in Pyeongtaek versus $4,125 in Seoul.

Pyeongtaek $4,300
Seoul $4,125

Living in Pyeongtaek costs roughly 21% less than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Pyeongtaek 7% above, Seoul 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.49 ₩10.0K

$9.05 ₩12.1K

-17.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.56 ₩30.2K

$68.3 ₩91.6K

-66.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 ₩6,467

$7.35 ₩9,851

-34.29%

Cappuccino

$3.62 ₩4,853

$4.12 ₩5,520

-12.14%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₩1,722

$1.64 ₩2,203

-21.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₩1,180

$0.81 ₩1,081

8.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.68 ₩4,926

$3.71 ₩4,971

-0.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 ₩5,839

$6.13 ₩8,221

-28.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 ₩3,073

$2.04 ₩2,737

12.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 ₩4,415

$3.21 ₩4,303

2.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 ₩4,266

$4.39 ₩5,881

-27.56%

Eggs

$2.62 ₩3,514

$3.59 ₩4,814

-27.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.32 ₩15.2K

$18.23 ₩24.4K

-37.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.41 ₩13.9K

$10.51 ₩14.1K

-0.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.15 ₩33.7K

$26.89 ₩36.0K

-6.47%

Apples (1kg)

$11.18 ₩15.0K

$7.86 ₩10.5K

42.24%

Banana (1kg)

$3.72 ₩4,984

$3.53 ₩4,730

5.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.24 ₩11.0K

$5.70 ₩7,646

44.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.09 ₩8,161

$6.18 ₩8,281

-1.46%

Potato (1kg)

$6.03 ₩8,081

$3.76 ₩5,044

60.37%

Onion (1kg)

$3.27 ₩4,388

$2.51 ₩3,367

30.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 ₩3,684

$2.82 ₩3,773

-2.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₩1,822

$1.11 ₩1,487

22.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.47 ₩4,654

$3.30 ₩4,424

5.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.22 ₩25.8K

$18.64 ₩25.0K

3.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 ₩3,355

$2.42 ₩3,242

3.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 ₩4,577

$3.36 ₩4,501

1.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.26 ₩1,690

$1.19 ₩1,597

5.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.32 ₩62.1K

$46.13 ₩61.8K

0.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 ₩4,880

$3.55 ₩4,761

2.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 ₩796

$0.60 ₩809

-1.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.26 ₩12.4K

$9.08 ₩12.2K

1.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₩1,899

$1.44 ₩1,927

-1.39%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$15.1K ₩20.3M

$30.3K ₩40.6M

-50.03%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$15.3K ₩20.6M

$28.9K ₩38.7M

-46.92%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$201 ₩269.9K

$213 ₩284.9K

-5.27%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$17.22 ₩23.1K

$35.83 ₩48.0K

-51.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.39 ₩36.7K

$21.39 ₩28.7K

28.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.6 ₩82.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.41 ₩22.0K

Cinema Ticket

$11.92 ₩16.0K

$11.42 ₩15.3K

4.38%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$634 ₩849.7K

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-67.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.7K ₩29.1M

$22.8K ₩30.5M

-4.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 ₩143.6K

$59.8 ₩80.1K

79.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.8 ₩86.8K

$34.19 ₩45.8K

89.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ₩128.7K

$66.0 ₩88.4K

45.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₩173.6K

$81.9 ₩109.8K

58.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$524 ₩702.2K

$924 ₩1.2M

-43.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$300 ₩402.7K

$659 ₩883.5K

-54.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,905 ₩2.6M

$3,012 ₩4.0M

-36.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,905 ₩2.6M

$1,440 ₩1.9M

32.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$27.2K ₩36.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K ₩15.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,912 ₩2.6M

$3,570 ₩4.8M

-46.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

4.08

3.43%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Pyeongtaek: October 25, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Pyeongtaek

$492 33.9%

Seoul

$483 26.2% 1.7% $8.4

Accommodation & Living

Pyeongtaek

$300 20.7%

Seoul

$659 35.7% 119% $359

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pyeongtaek

$246 16.9%

Seoul

$270 14.6% 9.7% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Pyeongtaek

$179 12.3%

Seoul

$109 5.9% 39.2% $70

Eating Out

Pyeongtaek

$154 10.6%

Seoul

$184 10% 20.1% $31

Getting Around

Pyeongtaek

$58 4%

Seoul

$57 3.1% 0.9% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Pyeongtaek

$24 * 1.6%

Seoul

$84 4.6% 254% $61

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $524 in Pyeongtaek and $924 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 87% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $23 in Pyeongtaek vs $68 in Seoul. Groceries flip the comparison at $492 vs $483, with Seoul cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Pyeongtaek

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

10:03 10:03 AM

Same time as Pyeongtaek

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

489,081

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.7 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Pyeongtaek Seoul 65 km

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Pyeongtaek vs Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,452 in Pyeongtaek and $1,848 in Seoul, so Pyeongtaek is about 21% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 46% lower in Pyeongtaek. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $524 in Pyeongtaek versus $924 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $634 in Pyeongtaek versus $1,948 in Seoul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $1,452 per month in Pyeongtaek versus $1,848 in Seoul – Pyeongtaek is about 21% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

For families, Pyeongtaek is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seoul, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Pyeongtaek and Seoul are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Pyeongtaek wins on affordability, Seoul on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.